Starter for internal-combustion engines



O. BRISBOIS. STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 21, 192l- Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

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PATENT orator.

ODILON BRISBOIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STARTER FOB, INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed. March 21, 1921. Serial No. 454,249.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ODILON BRISBOIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Starter for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following, reference being had to the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof, is a specification.

This invention relates'to ternal combustion engines designed to be driven, particularly, by an electric motor, and known in the automobile trade as electric car starters.

Among the objects of this invention is to obtain a starter whereof the driving pinion may be of small diameter, having, few gear teeth thereon, which are adapted to mesh with coacting gear teeth on a rotatably movable member of an internal combustion engine. To obtain a starter for internal combustion engines which is simple in construction, comprising few parts or members, easily assembled to form a right or a left hand device, as desired; which is durable, not. liable to break, or get out of order; which is certain in operation, easily understood and economically made.

I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention in the drawing referred to, in which Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical'section;

Fig. 2 an end elevation of a gear pinion forming a member of the starter; and

Fig. 3 a vertical section on line 3- 3 of Fig. 1, viewed as indicated by arrows.

A reference character applied to designate a given part indicates said part throughout the several figures of the drawing, wherever the same appears.

A represents a case or shell. B, B represent bearings, referably made of bronze or hard brass. 6 represents a driving shaft which is rotatably mounted in bearing B. Shaft C may be the shaft of an electric motor, or a shaft driven by an electric motor or other motive power. D represents a hub or pulley which is rigidly secured on shaft C, and which is illustrated as integral therewith. E represents a non-rotatable axle, which is rigidly secured at one end thereof in bearing B, and at the other end is extended into a central recess provided therefor in hub or pulley D, as at 6, Fig. 1, and indicatedby broken lines in Fig. 3. F repa starter for inresents a gear pinion, which is provided with gear teeth f, f. Pinion F is mounted on shaft E, and is longitudinally and rotatably movable thereon. G represents a spring which is wound to obtain double strands, said strands being separated at the free end 9 thereof, and from thence a required distance toward the other end (9) of the spring, sufficiently to admit the pin or abutment H between said strands when the starter is in normal condition, (not running). The end of the spring (9) is mounted on the hub or pulley D, and there secured by plate I and screw J. K represents a rotatab ly movable member of an internal combustion engine, (usually the fly wheel thereof) provided with gear teeth L, with which teeth the teeth f, f, of pinion F are adapted to mesh when said pinion is moved longitudinally on shaft E, from the position thereof which is illustrated in full lines in Fig. l, to the position indicated by broken lines F f, in said figure.

pulley D to near the geared member K, when said pinion is in its-normal and retracted position, (see Fig. 1), and when pinion is in operating and advanced position, (see broken lines F, f, Fig. 1), a considerable portion thereof is in said spring. The spring G may be put under tension to bring the free end thereof down to close contact with the periphery of the part of said pinion member remaining in the coils of the spring. The tension which can be put on the spring as a resilient member is thus limited, and is not sufficient to set or distort it. The durability of the spring is thus enhanced.

in using this starter no considerable strain is put on any member thereof until, by the rotation of driving shaft C, the hub or pulley D and spring G, the pinion F has been moved longitudinally on shaft E into substantially the position indicated by broken lines F, f, Fig. 1, with pin or pro jection H in the-loop at end 9 of the spring. At said time continued rotation of spring G forces said loop or end 9 against said pin H, tending to wind the spring and to turn the pinion F and geared member K. At this time the end of pinion F which is provided with teeth f, f, is adjacent to bearing B, and said teeth receiving all the strain due to 1'0- tating the member having gear teeth K thereon and the connected parts of the engine, a shaft E ofsrnall diameter can be inion F extends, on shaft E, from hub or I used; thus permitting a pinion of small di ameter and having few gear teeth to he used.

Shaft C, hub or pulley D, spring G, axle or shaft E and pinion F, may all be turned end for end in case A, thus providing for a right or left hand operating machine. A right or left hand machine may also be obtained by winding springs G, in opposite directions; but I prefer the end for end change recited, as that can be done, when necessary, in a garage, no special tools being required.

To use this starter shaft C is turned so that spring G will force pin or abutment H and pinion F to the left hand as viewed in Fig. 1, thus engaging teeth f, f'and L, L. Rotation of shaft C is continued, thereby rotating pinion F, by end 9 of the spring engaging with said pin H, and member K of the engine and the parts of said engine which are connected with said member.

When the engine, started as above, is moved by its own power, the rotation of shaft C is lessened or stopped, by the cessation of the application of power thereto, and member K rotating pinion F faster than shaft C and spring G, moves said pinion so that pin H travels between the coils or strands of the spring, thus returning pinion F to its normal and retracted position, out of engagement with teeth L, L.

I claim 1. A starter arranged to co-act with a rotatable engine member provided with gear teeth, said starter consisting of a rotatably mounted shaft and a spring coil comprising a plurality of strands, said strands which are adjacent to one end of the coil being in spaced relation and arranged to form a tremor loop at said end, and the strands at the other end of the coil connected with said shaft to turn therewith, in combination with a stationary axle, a pinion rotatably and longitudinally movable on said axle, and an abutment on said pinion positioned between said spaced strands, whereby rotation of said shaft and spring moves said pinion longitudinally on said axle into mesh with said gear teeth, and continued rotation of said shaft and spring engages said abutment and said loop to drive said engine member, and rotation of said engine memher to drive said pinion moves said pinion longitudinally out of mesh with said gear teeth.

2. in an engine starter, a stationary support, a driving member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement thereon and having a stud projecting radially therefrom, means surrounding said driving member and having a helical guideway for engaging said stud, and a driving shaft connected to said means.

3. In an engine starter, a stationary support, a driving member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement thereon, said driving member havin a stud projecting radially therefrom, a yielding member concentric with said driving member and having a spiral guideway for receiving said stud and a rotary driving shaft connected with said yielding member.

Signed at Chicago, 111., this 17th day of March, 1921,

ODILON BRISBOIS. Witnesses IRvIN RITTENHOUSE, lBnss S. BROWN. 

